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ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

13 July 2004
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UA-85-2004: PAKISTAN: Honor killing takes lives of 19-year-old girl and 30-year-old man

PAKISTAN: Honor killing; Violence against women; Rule of law
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Dear friends

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by another "honor killing" case reported from Shikarpur district, Sindh Province, Pakistan. Even though AHRC has issued several honor killing cases, the state government of Sindh province as well as the government of Pakistan have not taken any serious action to abolish this brutal practice.

According to the information received, on 22 June 2004, Ms. Reshman (19) and Mr. Abdul Shakoor (30) were killed by Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed (Ms. Reshman's brother) and an unknown man on the pretext of "honor killing" in Munaabad Village, Garhi Yaseen Town, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province. The accused alleged that the two victims were having illicit sexual relations, which was denied by Mr. Abdul Shakoor's family. The perpetrators proclaimed that they killed them to maintain the honor of their family. More seriously, although a first information report (FIR) was filed at Jamalpur Police Station, none of the perpetrators have been arrested yet and the villagers are supporting them.

Your urgent action is required to pressure the local authorities for the quick arrest of the perpetrators and a thorough investigation of the case. Please also call for the government of Pakistan, especially the state government of Sindh to take strong action to eliminate honor killings.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of Victims:
1) Ms. Reshman, 19 years old, daughter of Rajib Ali, of Junejo tribe, unmarried
2) Mr. Abdul Shakoor, 30 years old, son of Umaid Ali, of Junejo tribe, married, farmer
Alleged perpetrators:
1) Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed, son of Rajib Ali, of Junejo tribe, brother of Ms. Reshman
2) Unknown (the complainant stated that he would be able to recognize this perpetrator on seeing him again)
Complainant: Mr. Deedar Husain, son of Umaid Ali, of Junejo tribe, brother of Mr. Abdul Shakoor
Witnesses:
1) Mr. Sadoro, son of Sobhal, of Junejo tribe, maternal cousin of Mr. Abdul Shakoor
2) Mr. Nazeer Ahmed, son of Ghulam Ghulam Hayder, of Junejo tribe, paternal cousin of Mr. Abdul Shakoor
Date of incident: 22 June 2004, 6:00 p.m.
Case reported on: 22 June 2004, 7:00 p.m. at Jamalpur Police Station, Shikarpur District
Place of Incident: Munaabad Village, Garhi Yaseen Town, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province Pakistan

Case Details:

On June 2004, Ms. Reshman (19) and Mr. Abdul Shakoor (30) were brutally killed by Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed (Ms. Reshman's brother) and an unknown man on the pretext of "honor killing" in Munaabad Village, Garhi Yaseen Town, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province.

According to Mr. Deedar Husain (Mr. Abdul Shakoor's brother and complainant), on 22 June 2004, he and his two cousins Sadoro and Nazeer Ahmed were in the village street. At about 6:00 p.m. his brother Mr. Abdul Shakoor was returning from the village shop after purchasing some commodities for his family. When Mr. Deedar Husain saw his brother, who was at a little distance from him and his two cousins, he also saw that Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed approached his brother along with an unknown man. Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed had a single barreled gun in his hand and his companion had an automatic pistol. When they reached Mr. Abdul Shakoor, Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed started to verbally abuse him and accused him of having illicit sexual relations with his sister Ms. Reshman. After that, Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed started to fire at Mr. Abdul Shakoor. The victim's brother and his two cousins stepped forward to stop him but the unknown man pointed his pistol towards them and ordered them to stay aside. Mr. Abdul Shakoor fell on the street bleeding and died. The victim's brother saw that Mr. Abdul Shakoor had three injuries on his back and the left side of his neck.

Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed and his companion then left the place and went to Ms. Reshman's house which is located in the same street. At that time, she was in the bathroom. They also killed her with their guns and proclaimed that they killed both victims to maintain the honor of their family. Then they fled away. Mr. Deedar Husain and his two cousins Sadoro and Nazeer Ahmed, who followed the two perpetrators saw Ms. Reshman's body lying in the bathroom and she had seven injuries; three on the left side of her neck, two under the right breast, one across her right arm and one on the right side of her back. Mr. Deedar Husain asked his cousins to stay at the bodies of the two victims while he went to the Jamalpur Police Station to report the incident. At around 7:00 p.m. the First Information Report (FIR- Case no. No. 5/04 Section 302, 504 PPC) was lodged by Mr. Deedar Husain at the police station. He stated that the deceased were constantly fired upon even after being dead.

Mr. Abdul Shakoor's family claims that the allegation about him and Ms. Reshman is baseless. They said that both of victims have not been seen together in any objectionable conditions and there is no evidence to prove their illicit relations. According to the family, they had quarrels with the family of the accused several times and they (the accused) did not want to live with them in the same street and same village. However, according to our source, most of the villagers think that Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed killed his sister and Mr. Abdul Shakoor in order to maintain his family's honor and hence they are at the side of the accused. The family of the accused is not willing to unravel any facts of the incident and nobody among Ms. Reshman's family members went to lodge a FIR about the incident. Therefore, Mr. Deedar Husain lodged a collective FIR regarding the murder of the two victims at the Jamalpur police Station.

After the case was registered, the sub-Inspector Qamaruddin Mazari, sub-House Officer (SHO) of Jamalpur Police station refused to say anything about the reasons for the murders. He only mentioned that the case was handed over to the investigation team of the police station and thenceforth the case would be produced before Civil judge & judicial Magistrate of Lakhi Ghulam Shah Town in Shikarpur District. The two accused have not been arrested until now.

The practice of honour killings continues to occur with alarming frequency in Pakistan, mainly in Sindh Province. Honor killings often occur on the pretext of maintaining honor. The male relatives who commit the murders are rarely prosecuted in traditional communities. It appears that any action, real or fabricated, if deemed by the family as compromising their honor, may be considered a valid reason to commit murder. While illegal according to national laws and inconsistent with Islamic doctrine in both the Koran and Sharia, the lack of consistent positive action by Pakistani law enforcement agencies and the seemingly commonplace belief in the practice of honor killings, facilitate this inhuman practice.

AHRC requires the local authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into this murder. We also ask you to send a letter or make a phone call to the Regional Police Officer (RPD), Sukkur and officer of the DPO Investigation Department - Shikarpur District and demand speedy and thorough investigation of this case. The contact information of these officers is given below.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter, fax or email to the addresses below and demand the local authorities to arrest the perpetrators quickly and conduct thorough investigation in this case.

1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
Pakistan Secretariat,
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: CE@pak.gov.pk

2.Hon. Mr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan
Governor of Sindh State Government
Governor House
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 21 9201201-3
E-mail: governor@governorsindh.gov.pk

3. Mr. Sayed Kamal Shah
Provincial Police Officer, Sindh Police
Central Police Office
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 21 9212626-7
Fax: +92 21 9212051

4. Mr. Rahoo Khan Brohi
Regional Police Officer
Sukkur Region
Airport Road Sukkur
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 71 30547, 30248
Fax: +92 71 31824

5. Syed Sultan Shah
Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 51 920 3464
Fax: + 92 51 9203119

6. Mr. Khameeso Khan Memon
District Police Officer (DPO) - Shikarpur District
Attn. Mr. Fida Hussain Mastoi
District Police Officer (DPO) Investigation - Shikarpur District
Police Head Quarters
Shikarpur
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 761 515077, 512309
Fax: +92 761 512369

7. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
OHCHR-UNOG
Palais Wilson, 8-14 Avenue de la Paix,
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9022

Sample letter:

Dear ________________

Re: PAKISTAN: Honor killing takes lives of 19-year-old girl and 30-year-old man

Name of Victims: 1) Ms. Reshman (19), daughter of Rajib Ali, of Junejo tribe, unmarried 2) Mr. Abdul Shakoor (30), son of Umaid Ali, of Junejo tribe, married, farmer
Alleged perpetrators:
1) Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed, son of Rajib Ali, of Junejo tribe, brother of Ms. Reshman
2) Unknown (He can be recognized by the witnesses)
Complainant: Mr. Deedar Husain, brother of Mr. Abdul Shakoor
Witnesses: 1) Mr. Sadoro, son of Sobhal, of Junejo tribe, maternal cousin of Mr. Abdul Shakoor
2) Mr. Nazeer Ahmed, son of Ghulam Ghulam Hayder, of Junejo tribe, paternal cousin of Mr. Abdul Shakoor
Date of incident: 22 June 2004, 6:00 p.m.
Case reported on: 22 June 2004, 7:00 p.m. at Jamalpur Police Station, Shikarpur District
Place of Incident: Munaabad Village, Garhi Yaseen Town, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province

I have learned of another honor killing that happened in Shikarpur District, Sindh Province, Pakistan. According to the information I have received, on 22 June 2004, Ms. Reshman (19) and Mr. Abdul Shakoor (30) were brutally killed by Mr. Mukhtiar Ahmed (Ms. Reshman's brother) and an unknown man on the pretext of "honor killing" in Munaabad Village, Garhi Yaseen Town, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province. The accused alleged that the two victims were having illicit sexual relations, which was denied by Mr. Abdul Shakoor's family. The perpetrators proclaimed that they killed them to maintain the honor of their family. More seriously, although a first information report (FIR) was filed at Jamalpur Police Station, none of the perpetrators have been arrested yet and the villagers are supporting the act of the perpetrators.

Although honour killings are illegal according to national laws and inconsistent with Islamic doctrine in both the Koran and Sharia, the government of Pakistan has failed to eliminate honor killings due to the lack of consistent positive action by Pakistani law enforcement agencies. How many women have to be sacrificed until the Government takes genuine action to abolish the practice of honor killing? The practice of honor killings must end, and the silence that perpetrates the practice must be broken.

Therefore, I strongly urge you to conduct a thorough and speedy investigation in this case and bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible. I also request the government of Pakistan to clearly declare honor killing as a crime and create legal provision to prohibit it. Also, tribal courts (jirga) should be prohibited and fair trials should be ensured in court.

Thank you for your attention.



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Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)